The Sick Rabbit Thing

[Swede]

Your elk hunting buddy had to go home. His rabbit got sick again. LOL You don't plan to give up, so you stay behind in camp. Now what do you do? Would you just call elk solo hunting, tree stand hunt, or try to get one close to the road on a drive by shooting? Are you rifle, archery or smoke pole hunting? BTW: What's for dinner?
If I get an elk in a bad hole I can always call my son for help. He is several hours away, but would be there if I needed a packer. I also remember Stringunner said he would help if I needed any assistance. That is pretty good considering I let him and his dad carry out his elk by themselves.
I am archery hunting from a tree stand. As a precaution, I call home every evening to let my wife know how things are going. It is obvious to her that I did not fall or stumble and injure myself. As for the cooking, it is probably fried steak, salad and part of a can of beans or corn. I don't bake anything so every item is fried, just heated or uncooked.

[>>>---WW---->]

I'd follow him home, shoot his sick rabbit, and then never invite him to go hunting with me again!

As for myself, I'd continue my hunt. I'm used to hunting alone anyway. As for the packing out part goes, I'd call my big strong son in law or hire a packer if it is back in too far. The guy with the sick rabbit probably wouldn't have helped when the real work started anyway.

He'd probably say something like this. " Sorry but someone just shot my pet rabbit and now my hamster is sick"!!!!

[Bowhunter]

Half of the time I hunt alone so I would just continue hunting. I might stay a little closer to camp if the weather is warm. Lets face it most of us can walk for miles and shoot an elk if the opportunity was presented, however getting one out alone without it spoiling is the problem. I will not risk losing meat. Now if it is cool enough to give me time. I would spend 2-3 days packing it out by myself if I had to.

Oh. The hunter with the sick rabbit would not be invited again.

[otcWill]

Honestly, nothing changes for me. I go wherever I have to in order to fill my tag and I consider brutal packouts to be a gift; definitely my favorite part of the hunt! I rarely check in with anyone and I eat nuts and peanut butter for days on end. This is when I feel most alive!

[Still Hunter]

Hunting alone is not the end of the world. It's actually quite nice, and you never have to be concerned about a sick rabbit. Come and go as you please on your schedule.

[Indian Summer]

OK I finally finished howling. The chuckling began before I even clicked on the thread when I read the title. As you know Swede I'm not happy about my partner bailing out last year. I'm pretty much zero tolerance on ANY excuses being reasonable. AND.... I can be BRUTALLY honest when I want to.

I'd find out if he let the rabbit out in his yard from time to time and when I knew it was out I'd pull up in my truck and my beagles would "accidentally" get out and that would be the end of the rabbit. Then my sarcastic sense of humor would kick in. "Well since he was suffering with that terminal illness I get it was for the better" Then: "Look at the bright side, you won't have to leave the hunt early next fall" Followed by "Fire up the grill and I'll call the wife and tell her to give me our recipe for pesky rabbit nuggets" And to finish "I guess in some small way this meal will make up for our lack of elk steaks right?"

[Swede]

The humor here may be a little sick, like the rabbit, but I love it. My point really had nothing with the excuse per se, but what changes with your hunt if anything? I am just a little more careful and don't go where the pack out is too much for me to handle alone. My food is not quite as appetizing. It takes a little more effort to inform people about where I am, but I usually make an attempt. I just hope Stringunner has not gone back home when I need a packer.

[Indian Summer]

Oh alright I'll give a grown up answer. In my scenario I use horses. Sometimes on some really shaky trails on steep sidehills. Frozen ones too. Admittedly scary even. I immediately eliminated that route. Dropped in elevation to where the terrain was more civilized. Then when I tied up my critters I do what I always do, only on a higher, zero tolerance level: No risks! That means the little things too like don't do the tightrope walk on wet slimy blowdowns when nobody else knows where I am. And yes... don't kill elk where you can't move them to a spot where you can safely get the livestock too. I still hunt far from a road if I want to but my attitude definitely changes. I don't mind one bit hunting solo but I like company in camp. So it's at night when I'm upset that my partner's rabbit got sick and I'm going to have to kill it.

Our newcomers who may have missed that thread probably wonder what the heck we're talking about.

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

If I'm bowhunting, it is weather dependent. Hot and sunny? I might just go rabbit hunting instead. My dad put a broadhead through his hand once, and now I'm a little leery of hunting alone with the bow.
Rifle season? I'm just happy the bloke isn't getting in my way as I head out early every morning!

[Elkduds]

Hunting alone is the norm for me. A packframe is standard equipment. I plan to add a satellite location and distress signalling device to my kit before this fall. Cell phones are useless in most Colorado high country.

P.S. Don't punish the rabbit, it isn't his fault your buddy is a douche

[JJ Overkill]

plain and simple, grabbing my bow and hunting, id call like I normally do and see what and how the elk answer to make my next move.

[Buglemaster]

No sick rabbit excuses from my buddies, but a few years ago they bailed on me on an afternoon hunt. It had rained/ snowed on us for 3 straight days. Their cheap walmart boots were beyond soaked & they decided to run to town to get some new boots. I told them it was going to break up & when the sun comes out the elk are going to go nuts. They went anyway.. It cleared & as I predicted, the elk turned on big time. I killed a nice bull just before dark that evening & put the 2 of them to work the next morning. Those 2 have never let me down & I know never will. Great buddies sometimes are hard to find.

[easeup]

the rabbit thing has happened to me a lot. so by default you get to hunt solo. After several years of that you like solo too. cant fuss about any body then.
And the places I have been to there is no cell service either. you just have to be careful and not take chances. For some guys that are considering solo for whatever reason, I found I actually hunt harder and longer than when a buddy is not in camp. I guess because there is no compelling reason to be in camp except to sleep.

.... just a couple years ago my buddy bailed out the day before leaving home, so driving up to CO one gets to figuring the possible options to salvage a hunt. Now I was desperate mind you.....so I called trophyhill about the state line to inquire about his location and fortunately for him he was tied up in a draw only unit.

[stringunner]

Swede, if I'm still up there I'm totally there for ya. I too feel a bit more comfortable knowing that even if I'm in camp alone, I know you are camped just short walk away.

I'm hoping we both get to dirty the packs this year.

[Willie makit]

Im not going to put myself in a position where Im relying on some one else, sure it will be more comforting to know some ones around but not a deal breaker. hopfully the day after rabbit pox breaks out Ill launch my arrow and then Ill be the one saying, " Uh oh, now what"

[rudyc]

Sick Rabbits???

So, A guy has a neighbor and his daughter has a bunny in a cage in the back yard. One day his Beagle comes into the house with the kids dead bunny. Oh NO, the fella thinks, we're already not getting along with the neighbors, and now my dog has killed the kid's pet bunny, What To Do??

So he cleans up the bunny and sneaks over to the neighbor's yard and put the bunny back in the cage. All is well right?

NOT! His neighbor comes over the next day, all upset and in grief. He says there must be some really sick SOB living around here!!!

Turns out the little girl's bunny went and died on it's own. She and her family had a little funeral for it and buried it in the back yard. Now some sick bastig dug it up and put it back in the cage and the kid has not stopped crying since she found it!! YUK YUK

[bnsafe]

I typically hunt by myself, so I bail when I want to, hunt when I want to. drive to town when it feels right, hunt in the rain when it feels right. with that said I would find a new partner quick if he bailed on me. one year might be ok but if it happened again it would be the last. oh yea, he would be the first on my call list after I got my elk packed out.

[Swede]

Rudyc: You have my nomination for the funniest post on the forum. It has been a while since I have had such a laugh. Of coarse it may not be your post, but my sick sense of humor that is at work. Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which.

[ishy]

I use to love rabbit whe I was a kid, all this is making me hungry.

[Indian Summer]

Pic from last year. Got 7 the other day pretty quick. It's been a really good year. Heading out on Wednesday. Nice to hunt in walking distance from the house and have non-stop action.

Rabbit limit.jpg (66.88 KiB) Viewed 8475 times

[Washington Wapiti]

Do these rabbits looks sick? Sick rabbits make great crock-pot fare!

IMG_0517.JPG (170.16 KiB) Viewed 8447 times

[Swede]

"Sick rabbits"! They look dead to me. Anyway it appears like you guys had a great outing between big game hunts. Continue to keep the rabbit population in check. You know they have a reputation.

[itsnlkthing]

Yep, I don't think that they are going to make it..

[Indian Summer]

Yep, I don't think that they are going to make it..

Nope. Bunnies are very susceptible to lead poisoning.

[Washington Wapiti]

"Sick rabbits"! They look dead to me. Anyway it appears like you guys had a great outing between big game hunts. Continue to keep the rabbit population in check. You know they have a reputation.

Haha, they sure do! Filthy buggers, breaking up elk hunts across the land . . . mine is actually from 2 years ago in Utah. It is open season on jackrabbits out there. Can't hunt them in WA unfortunately.

[Washington Wapiti]

Yep, I don't think that they are going to make it..

Nope. Bunnies are very susceptible to lead poisoning.

LOL! and not from paint chips . . .

[twinkieman]

Nothing would change for me, other than I wouldn't take him to my camp again, wouldn't invite him on another hunt.

[Willie makit]

Ill hunt even harder, in evenings be looking for that little Captain Morgan camp fire and keep a sharp nose out for that walleye, apple pie and beer smell, that way I know Im into elk and may can recuit some help packing out waldo the rack monster.